AJ Styles has reflected on one of the more unexpected rivalries of his WWE career, revealing a feud he says he “freaking loved”.
Speaking on his “Phenomenally Retro Podcast”, AJ Styles looked back at his 2016 programme on WWE SmackDown, where he repeatedly faced an unlikely opponent in James Ellsworth.
Despite Ellsworth picking up multiple wins during the storyline, Styles said the fan reaction made it one of the most enjoyable runs of his career.
“I freaking loved it,” he said. “The fans were thoroughly entertained by these matches with James Ellsworth. The reaction when he superkicks me and almost beats me, that’s entertainment. That’s what we do.”
Ellsworth, initially introduced as an underdog who “didn’t want none” of Styles, went on to defeat the then-WWE Champion three times, often with assistance from Jon Moxley, who was competing as Dean Ambrose at the time.
Styles made it clear that, for him, the success of a storyline is not measured by wins and losses, but by how it connects with the audience.
“You guys are worried about wins and losses. I’m worried about whether or not you show up at the next show,” he added. “As crazy and as goofy as it was, we were putting people in seats.”
When Did AJ Styles & James Ellsworth’s Rivalry End?
The rivalry between AJ Styles and James Ellsworth eventually came to an end on December 20, 2016, when Styles decisively defeated Ellsworth in under a minute, closing out one of the more unconventional feuds of that era.
